Mostly Thoughtless

A Fresh Start!

2008-07-12T10:06:00.003+05:30

Hey everyone,I needed a fresh start, so I've moved to Wordpress. Click here to visit the new blog. Hopefully, things will get more regular from now on.Please update your blogrolls to reflect the new url.

The QFI Open Quiz 2008

2008-04-16T12:59:00.011+05:30

The Quiz Foundation of India (Chennai Chapter), in association with Indian Terrain is proud to announce 'The QFI Open Quiz 2008', the fourth edition of the annual open quiz, which has become a fixture on the Chennai quizzing calendar.The QFI Opens of the last three years have been resounding successes, attracting more than 120 teams each time, including some from Hyderabad, Bangalore, and even

News.. Blah.. Blah..

2007-12-29T02:10:00.000+05:30

Season's Greetings, everybody!!When I first found out I was coming to London, my mind was filled with grand ideas of watching every Arsenal match played during the period I spent here, travelling to the away games and perform acts of football hooliganism, and in whatever time I had left, follow the route Bill Bryson took around the United Kingdom and then wrote about in ‘Notes from a Small Island

Ooh to, Ooh to be, Ooh to be a Gunner!!

2007-09-20T23:04:00.000+05:30

I've been in London for about three weeks now on work and right from the moment I landed, there was only one thing on my mind, going to watch an Arsenal game at the Emirates stadium.Finally, thanks to an old school friend and fellow gooner, I found myself with one ticket for the Champions League game between Arsenal and the two-time defending UEFA Cup Champions Sevilla on the 19th of September,

Phew!

2007-08-16T13:40:00.000+05:30

Nine years ago, on August 15th, I attended the Landmark Quiz ‘99 with two class mates Nandan and Abhishek. We had been winning almost all the school quizzes we went to that season and so we landed up at the Music Academy rather high on confidence. As there was a prize for the best team name, we had racked our brains and come up with the extremely creative ‘Qwizards’, little knowing that around 1/

Con-Hair

2007-07-27T09:11:00.000+05:30

Apart from death by roasting, vasectomy, and a dinner date with Rakhi Sawant, I can think of very few experiences that scare me as much a visit to the barbershop. Since childhood, I have been terrified by barbers. They always seem to have some kind of wicked sneer on their faces when they go about my hair with their big, noisy garden shears. “You just wait, young man,” they'd seem to be saying, “

Technical Difficulties

2007-07-12T09:50:00.000+05:30

After six years of untiring, dedicated service, my computer finally quit on me last week, after threatening to do so for the last few months. Now it simply refuses to turn itself on and I will be calling my computer technician soon, but not before I have ensured that the problem is not because I have the cord unplugged or something stupid like that. I cannot handle one more "B.Tech I.T-aa? You-aa

Au Revoir, Thierry

2007-06-23T19:09:00.000+05:30

Friends close to me know that i've actually wanted this to happen for the last year, but a few minutes back, when I read that Thierry Henry was leaving Arsenal and joining Barcelona for $32 million, I was still deavastated. It will take a few days and a few drinks, as it rightly should, for me to get over it. Henry is an Arsenal legend, and his love for the club was unquestionable and never more

The BOSS!

2007-06-14T11:01:00.000+05:30

Date: 15-06-2007Time: 02:45 p.mVenue: Sathyam

The QFI Open Quiz 2007

2007-05-29T10:31:00.000+05:30

Following the immense success of the first two editions, the Quiz Foundation of India (Chennai Chapter), in association with Indian Terrain is proud to announce 'The QFI Open Quiz 2007', the third edition of the annual quiz.The QFI Opens of the last two years have been resounding successes, attracting more than 120 teams each time, including some from Hyderabad, Bangalore, and even Ahmedabad.

Guy Pierced!!

2007-05-13T09:39:00.000+05:30

Recently, I began to feel that, in my chosen line of work, I was missing out on a lot of things in life. ‘Being hip’, for example. Nobody thinks sitting in an office cubicle and tapping away on a computer keyboard all day long is anywhere near hip. Far from it, in fact. It’s somewhere below ankle. And then, I started thinking about what I did during the time I wasn’t working - quiz, watch reality

Brahmins in Bangkok - Part 0

2007-04-23T22:26:00.001+05:30

Many of you may have heard of the phrase ‘So near, yet so far’, and some of you may have even used it, in a variety of situations. However, if you are, like me, a government certified, pure and unadulterated Tam Brahm boy, and you wish to truly understand the meaning of that phrase, then you must visit Bangkok.A couple of equally pristine Tam Brahm friends and I happened to do exactly that for

The Wedding Blogger

2007-04-21T15:50:00.000+05:30

Dedicated to Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Abhishek, it was a fair fight and I must admit that you turned out to be the better man at the end. Congrats, dude. Have fun. Aishwarya, baby, I just wanted to let you know that I’ll never forget that one hot night in 2005. Whenever you need me, just mail vinod dot g at gmail dot com. Muah.Unless you’ve been in a coma all these days, or even

Welcome to Mostlee Thottlessse

2007-04-18T08:30:00.000+05:30

Today, we are going to talk about an issue that affects every single Indian, regardless of race, religion, age, caste or gender. Well, actually, it does take caste into account, and older Indians won’t really be affected directly but yes, it is still a highly critical issue.For a couple of years now, the Indian Government, and in particular, Arjun Singh, aged 223, has been working very hard to

300: Prepare For Gory!

2007-04-10T22:50:00.000+05:30

Over the last month or so, millions of people all over the world, including me, have been witness to the unbelievable feats of a unique set of people. We have watched in awe and applauded these brash, macho, courageous, gallant, superhuman and above all, yellowish creatures who seem to stop at nothing to defend the glory of their proud nation and to mercilessly massacre their enemies. I am

The Secret Diary of Gregory Stephen Chappell, aged 58 and 2/3

2007-04-04T12:07:00.000+05:30

Thursday, March 15thWe arrived in the West Indies a few days ago and I am very happy with the way things are progressing with the team. We have already played two warm-up games against the Netherlands and the West Indies in which I used my tactical acumen and strategic brilliance to steer India to convincing victories. It also helped that both the teams were drunk when they took the field. The

Peer-to-peer hookup

2007-04-02T00:05:00.000+05:30

If you’re a guy, how would you like it if someone told you that you could sit at home all day, in your pyjamas which are still wet with your drool, doing absolutely nothing, not even brushing your teeth, emitting a stench foul enough to kill nearby street dogs AND get a woman to go out with you at the same time?Right now, all the girls reading this are going, "how gross... which woman would go

2006 : The Year Of Living Precariously

2007-01-01T01:18:00.000+05:30

After two absolutely catastrophic years, namely 2004 and 2005, this blog has to rather reluctantly admit that 2006 was a massive improvement, but only because it was the year in which this blogger was lucky to be involved in a wanton, passionate and steamy orgy involving self, Jennifer Aniston, Eva Longoria, Lola Kutty and a large tub filled with chocolate syrup.''WHAT??'' all you guys are going,

Wish You Were Hair?

2006-09-06T10:44:00.000+05:30

Since the beginning of time, Mankind has always had a tremendous fascination for balls. They just can’t seem to leave them alone, to let them be, so to speak. They feel the need to constantly play with them, scratch at them, rub them or just plain hold them. Womankind also is known to perform all of these activities, but less frequently and only during particularly intimate moments. Mankind, on

After a long long time..

2006-08-25T17:30:00.000+05:30

Hey people,Been terribly busy for quite some time, with a number of things.. Now, touchwood, the phase seems to be finally over and I can hopefully get back to regular blogging soon.. All the people who've mailed, scrapped, commented.. your words meant a lot, and I'll post very soon!!In other news, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish a happy birthday to human being and entertainer supreme,

No Part Points, once again!!!

2006-07-22T07:24:00.000+05:30

Following the immense success of the first edition, the Quiz Foundation of India (Chennai Chapter), in association with AIMS Education is proud to announce the second edition of 'The QFI Open Quiz '.The QFI Open 2005, conducted in June last year, was a resounding success, attracting more than 150 teams including some from Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Ahmedabad. This time, the quiz promises to be

We'll live to fight another day!!

2006-05-18T19:33:00.000+05:30

Last night was heartbreaking to say the least. And I have so much that I want to say about it. Not just about last night but about the entire season. Anyways, I found an article from an Arsenal fan that echoes my thoughts right down to every single word. So, I'll just put it up here. Here it is, from www.arseblog.com.Well, that’s that. For another year at least. As I said once before, I get to

Yipppeeee!!

2006-05-17T18:15:00.000+05:30

Yay!! My team won the Chennai regional round of the Signature Sports Buzz Quiz conducted by Harsha Bhogle here the day before yesterday. This means that we now get to slug it out with the other regional winners from New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore on the 26th for the grand prize - a trip to South Africa to watch India play.For a more detailed story, click here.P.S: Has anyone else

Paris, Here We Come!!!

2006-04-27T11:37:00.000+05:30

The last couple of months have been hellishly hectic for me and one of the very few sources of joy during this period has been Arsenal’s amazing run in this year’s Champions League. With a young makeshift defence and a disastrous premiership season on the side, this current Arsenal side has displayed tremendous strength of character to get this far in the tournament which has, until now, proven

Arsenal 2-0 Juventus

2006-03-29T09:04:00.000+05:30

Simply Fab!!! And the King again!!!Sorry for the lack of posts, people... been really busy for the last few weeks. Will try and post something very soon.. Thanks a ton for all the mails.. really appreciate it..

Yay!!

2006-02-28T09:47:00.000+05:30

Click here for details.

The ski is the limit!

2006-02-25T11:55:00.000+05:30

Are you tired of watching sports that give you edge of the seat thrills? Do you drop off to sleep whenever you see a cricket match where a team has 14 runs to win off the last over? Or do you find yourself stifling yawn after yawn during a football game where it’s 3-3 after overtime and it’s come down to a penalty shoot-out? Do you prefer sports like golf and billiards instead? And do you

Real Madrid 0-1 Arsenal

2006-02-22T15:24:00.000+05:30

Long Live The King!!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Read About Them

2006-02-19T12:01:00.000+05:30

Recently I was wondering about the troubles of this world – about Kris Srikkanth, George Bush, Vijaykant, the Indian Idol contestants etc. when I realized that I knew so very little about the fascinating animal kingdom. So, in an effort to correct this, I decided to quickly brush up on my wildlife fundamentals.And that’s when I realized that learning about animals is very difficult. Everybody who

Blade Runner!!

2006-02-14T11:22:00.000+05:30

It always strikes me as being ridiculous whenever people say that we’re letting technology take over our lives, and how people are getting lazier by the day because of all the advanced technology that makes their work easier. I just think that’s a huge load of crap. How can technology be bad when it obviously adds so much value to our lives? Scientists all around the world, everyday, are working

Thanks for all the hits!!

2006-02-11T19:38:00.000+05:30

Recently, after a little more than two years of existence, this blog finally received its 100,000th hit. However, if you were to leave out all the hits that originated from me, the number is probably closer to 50.Now this got my attention, because one of the greatest obsessions in my life is increasing the traffic to my blog. It’s true. Like most, if not all, bloggers, I’m greatly obsessed with

Theo De Janeiro

2006-01-21T10:28:00.000+05:30

It's been a great January so far. Arsenal have been busy during the transfer window and joining Vassiriki Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Adebayor as the new Arsenal signings will be wonderkid Theo Walcott, who's already being touted as the 'next Wayne Rooney' and for good measure, the 'next Thierry Henry' as well. Anyway, I'm just hoping all three youngsters come of age soon and that the second half of

2005 : A Crappy New Year

2006-01-01T00:06:00.000+05:30

After the catastrophe that was the year 2004, a lot of people were of the opinion that life couldn’t get too much worse. As usual, they were wrong…Disclaimer: None of the dates in the following article have been verified. They’re just there to hold the piece together. If any of them are correct, let me assure you that it is purely by accident. And while we’re on the subject, I might as well tell

The Phone Ranger

2005-12-26T06:13:00.000+05:30

Is anyone else starting to get really irritated with AirTel and their incredible amounts of mobile spam? Seriously, I want them to stop sending me messages, twice a day, telling me that I could be the first to download the hit song of the month ‘Gomtalakdi Gana’ from the movie ‘Sanda Kozhi’. The more such messages I get, the more I want to throw my phone against the wall and watch it crack open

Indian Idle

2005-12-18T17:45:00.000+05:30

Our country is going down. It’s only a matter of time, before India, as a country, will be ignored and forgotten or to put it in a nutshell, treated like Saurav Ganguly. You don’t want to accept this inevitable eventuality? Allow me to back up my claims with some statistics: The percentage of employed people in India is at an all-time low. At the same time, the number of mobile-phone users in the

Happy Birthday, Thalaivaa!!

2005-12-12T08:59:00.000+05:30

Pyarr, Kyarr and all that..

2005-12-04T08:09:00.000+05:30

The city of Chennai is facing a crisis of massive proportions. For the last few weeks, it has been completely at the mercy of Mother Nature. The roads are all pot-holed and flooded, the poor have been rendered homeless, large parts of the city are without power, the electricity board’s telephone lines are busy and a cyclone named Baaz is now threatening to push the city into further confusion.

Lara rewrites record books

2005-11-27T09:12:00.000+05:30

The West Indian great overtakes Allan Border’s record in Adelaide for the highest count by a record re-writer in Test history, writes staff reporter Vinod Ganesh. Fifteen years and 213 innings after writing his first words in Rawalpindi, Brian Charles Lara daringly jumped over the boundary hoardings at the Adelaide Oval here yesterday and grabbed the record books from one of the regular writers

Finally... something!!!

2005-11-05T07:54:00.000+05:30

From the Deccan Herald, dated Nov 5th, 2005:"India’s largest book store and lifestyle store, Landmark, held its second quiz competition on November 1 in Bangalore. Sponsored by Expressions greeting cards, the quiz had more than 300 teams from Chennai, Cochin, Pondicherry, Hyderabad, Mysore and Bangalore. The competition was hosted by quiz master Derek O Brien and was supported by Dr. Navin

I wanna hold your hand... NOT!

2005-09-22T10:06:00.000+05:30

An article I saw today, which appeared in no less a magazine than ‘Forbes’, began as follows: “Women do it better than men, but no one does it perfectly.” As you can imagine, I was immediately interested. And then I read the next line, which said: “The issue, of course, is hand washing.”Seriously, the article was about a new survey of washrooms in public places which found, quite shockingly I’m

Help the children!!

2005-09-19T18:40:00.000+05:30

Several Bloggers are hosting a Raffle for Charity!Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for "Two to Tango"- A ProjectWhy Fundraiser!!! I know I know..... All of us get paranoid when we hear the name "Charity", however, rest assured that your money will be in safe hands. Learn more about the organization where the charity money will go. We will assign all of you a ticket for every $2 (Rs.90) you pay

Men In Pink

2005-09-10T11:00:00.000+05:30

Recently, to celebrate ‘310g Day’, aNTi put up a list of five blogs that he reads regularly and likes and mine was one of them. So first of all, thanks a ton for that, aNTi!! And second of all, what I found rather intriguing was his description of me and my blog. Among other things, he says:'Vinod G a.k.a Vindy: Funny Guy. His comic takes on the serious-est of things are legendary, and he does

Here We Go!!

2005-08-27T15:32:00.000+05:30

It's 1.30 a.m. and my room-mate is fast asleep. Outside the room, the entire campus is extremely silent and solemn, very much like those 1-minute silences that people observe to honour the deaths of other people, except that this time there was no moron to whisper “Is the minute up?” after 10 seconds. There was also no faint whirring of a fan in the background but that was probably because the

Pain Pain Go Away

2005-08-21T12:31:00.000+05:30

I am a fitness freak. Oops, sorry… my mistake. That sentence should have read – I am NOT a fitness freak. So, I surprised myself by playing badminton for 2 straight hours yesterday and then spending the next two hours in the swimming pool, as a result of which my body has undergone some fascinating changes, in that I have not been able to move my arms and legs for the last ten hours. Seriously, I

Clothes Choketh The Man

2005-08-10T08:00:00.000+05:30

It's a nice sunny day with intermittent light showers here in Mysore, and I'm sitting in an air-conditioned classroom along with around 80 other bright, young and energetic people who are squirming in their seats, because they just can’t wait to get out of the classroom and into the real world – the software industry, ‘where all the action is’, and start writing code. Me, I’m just happy to be

All my bags are packed...

2005-07-23T07:44:00.000+05:30

Hey people,I'm leaving for Mysore tomorrow morning to join Infosys on the day after. The training period is likely to be around two months and I will receive my posting later and it's not very likely to be Chennai. I suppose I will be able to blog updates pretty frequently but then, that is not the kind of blog this is.This blog has seen a lot of change since it was begun in early 2004 and I have

Harry Potter and the Special Features Blog Post

2005-07-15T10:14:00.000+05:30

Welcome to this, the exclusive Special Features section for readers of the famous Harry Potter series of books. This section is composed of two parts - Deleted Scenes and Alternate Endings, and can be accessed by moving your eyes slowly across and down this page. I will not waste anymore of your time. Read on…Deleted ScenesScene 1 (deleted by Censor Board)Out in the dark corridor, Harry examined

I'm an Infoscion!!!

2005-07-04T12:25:00.000+05:30

I've got a job with Infosys as a Software Engineer. I will be joining at the Mysore office on the 25th of July, 2005.P.S: This new post up because I deleted the old post which in turn was caused by one of the best pranks ever played on me.

Rejoice, we must. Over, it finally is.

2005-06-17T12:25:00.000+05:30

A couple of weeks ago, I finally got to watch the new and final Star Wars movie, officially titled ‘Star Wars : Episode III - Revenge of the Sith’, but more affectionately known to movie-goers as ‘Star Wars : Movie VI, Prequel III, Henry VIII, Version 1.7 - Thank God! It’s finally over!’ Now I have to admit here that I’ve never really been a big fan of the cult saga but after watching this movie,

Shoppers.... STOP!!!

2005-06-15T13:26:00.000+05:30

I’ve lived in Theyagaraya Nagar, or T Nagar, as it is affectionately called, ever since I was eight months old and I’m now 21. Mathematically speaking, that’s 96.82% of my life. I have absolutely no idea why I spoke mathematically in the previous sentence but then I’ve not been myself for quite sometime now. Anyway, getting back to the point, I’ve spent nearly my entire life in this medium-sized

Happy Days!!

2005-06-05T07:43:00.000+05:30

The big day is finally here. The last couple of weeks have been hell on my eyes after all the time I've spent looking at the computer screen but it's all over now. The QFI Open Quiz 2005 happens today at 3 p.m. Be there if you can.And yesterday, thanks to The Amazing Suderman, I found my name on Page 2 of Chennai's favourite newspaper - The Hindu. Thank you, Sudhish!! It was an article about

No Part Points!!

2005-05-26T07:20:00.000+05:30

The Quiz Foundation of India (Chennai Chapter) is proud to announce the first edition of 'The QFI Open Quiz 2005'.Apart from being original, well researched and immensely entertaining, this quiz also aims at making quizzing a fun experience for everyone involved. It will try and bring to a wider audience the same mix of light-hearted fun and serious high-standard quizzing that is seen at QFI's

You auto be careful, brether...

2005-05-17T08:15:00.000+05:30

Every city has something unique to it, something that lends it its own character, making it different from any other city on the planet. Chennai is no exception, and the one thing that sets this city apart is: its autorickshaws, or rather, their drivers. Undoubtedly Chennai’s favourite sons, these auto-drivers are world renowned for their honesty and polite disposition.Yes, I was obviously

Flash News!!!

2005-05-09T19:43:00.000+05:30

Ok, this is just a quick update.The next Mensa Qualifying Test has been scheduled for this Sunday, the 15th of May, 2005. To register, click here.Will come up with a post soon. Cheers!

Arbit National Park

2005-05-07T10:11:00.000+05:30

Is it true that there are there man-eating tigers in India? If so, can someone please request them to kill Vivek Oberoi? These were the questions I wanted answers to when I went to watch ‘Kaal’ the day before yesterday. And now, after having seen it, I want those answers more than I ever did before.I’d been looking forward to the movie for quite a while and I have to admit that I was quite

So, errr... Do you wanna.. ummm... I really... (gulp)

2005-05-01T11:59:00.000+05:30

Why do guys like girls so much? That’s the one question that’s been troubling human intelligence since time began. If there’s one thing that women all over the world agree on, apart from the fact that Tom Cruise is hot, it’s that men are stupid and useless. Yet, in spite of this open hostility, the average guy would like nothing better than to look at a girl, go out with her, share an intimate

Chandramukhi : The Return Of The King

2005-04-14T18:03:00.000+05:30

If you’re a die-hard Rajni fan, like I am, then ‘Chandramukhi’ first comes as a huge sigh of relief. And after the initial sense of relief has settled, you’ll then realize how awesome the movie really is.In ‘Baba’, we saw a jaded and clearly over-the-hill Rajni struggling to get through the scenes. The whole movie was so lame and uninspired that at a certain point, even I felt Rajni had lost it.

HELP!!!!!

2005-04-14T07:11:00.000+05:30

My life is suddenly rocking!!My dream of becoming a published humour writer is just one step away!!As many of you might know, Sulekha.com and Penguin Books have organised something called the 'India Smiles' global writing contest. I sent in an entry.And yesterday, I received this by mail.Dear Vinod, Congratulations! Yours is one of the 60 shortlisted entries for the India Smiles Contest.

Happy Days!

2005-04-12T06:33:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, I received this piece of news... Congratulations!! You have been selected for admission to PGP (2005-2007) of IIM Indore. And if that isn't joyous enough, I found out that

Meme-nto!

2005-04-09T08:59:00.000+05:30

I love books. They teach us many important things about life, none more important than the fact that not all of them are meant to be read. Some of them, like 'Finnegan's Wake' or 'The Brothers Karamazov' can be used efficiently as a less gruesome alternative to the electric chair.So, anyway, as I was saying, I'm a huge bibliophile and so, when aNTi passed this meme to me, I didn’t hesitate for a

Vinod G Superstar

2005-04-02T07:54:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, I became a movie star.If you’ve been following events in the blogosphere, you’ll probably know that Sudhish Kamath, the journalist, is making his movie ‘That Four Letter Word’. Well, it’s a low budget thing and from time to time, he needs volunteers to help out for free. Well, I really admire Sudhish for going through with his dream and all that. So, yesterday morning, when I found out

Martian Movie Stars

2005-03-31T10:05:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, I went to watch ‘Boogeyman’, a movie that’s sure keep me on the edge of my seat during next year’s Oscar ceremony. The movie opens with a little boy watching a nightmarish boogeyman come out of his closet and kill his father. And fifteen years later, he returns to the house where the above mentioned incident took place. The long abandoned house is now dark, desolate and there are

OH MY GOD!!!

2005-03-30T10:39:00.000+05:30

Recently I’ve realized that my posts have a knack for stirring up debate. First, it was the Tsunami, and more recently, it was the announcement of the next Mensa Qualifying Test. As you can see, both highly controversial topics. So, I’ve decided to write a post about something that has absolutely no chance of turning into a full scale war involving egos and ideological issues – religion.I

Do you have iq in you?

2005-03-26T23:21:00.000+05:30

Whenever I talk about Mensa, the International High I.Q Society, the first thing people always ask me is: “What's the best part about being a member of Mensa?”And I tell them: “The best part is that beautiful girls are always wanting to go out with you,” which is the cue for everyone to start laughing hysterically because, of course, I'm lying. Guys will want to go out with you too.But seriously,

Television Freak Show

2005-03-10T22:52:00.000+05:30

There are times when you feel like you’re the stupidest life-form on earth, even stupider than the insects in those animated insecticide commercials that cheerfully step into the zone obviously covered with thick insecticide vapour, fall down and die. This is a serious condition because it can leave you feeling very inferior and lacking in confidence to do anything without causing serious injury

Economic Crimes

2005-03-08T22:41:00.000+05:30

I haven’t written anything for a really long time because, quite frankly, I couldn’t find anything interesting to write about. But now, after three odd weeks, I’ve finally found something that I’m sure you’re all dying to read about - The Union Budget 2005.The Union Budget for the year 2005 is something that we, as students, should be worried about, because when we look at the Union Budget, or

Sudhir And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

2005-02-19T11:26:00.000+05:30

This post is a critical review of the musical play ‘Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’, performed admirably by the students of the Stella Maris College for Women, featuring Sudhir Syal in a special guest appearance as a dissatisfied audience member.As so often happens with musicals, ‘Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ too contained a number of songs, some of which could

Roman Holiday

2005-02-14T22:28:00.000+05:30

Another year. Another February 14th. Same story.I don’t know which is worse – not having a girlfriend to go out with on Valentine’s Day or having to spend the evening at home instead, watching ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ for the 79th time.As you’re all no doubt aware, February 14th is the traditional day on which lovers all over the world, and in newly discovered settlements on Titan, let each other

The Motorcycle Diary Entry

2005-02-11T06:49:00.000+05:30

I was in Spencer Plaza yesterday and I went inside this clothes store and asked the guy in charge if he had a 'Che Guevara' t-shirt. You know, the one that has this pic on the front:Anyway, the guy says, "Yes, I'll just look for it" and takes out a whole pile of t-shirts with various rock bands on them. As he rifles through them, he announces the band names loudly, "Pink Floyd,.... Black Sabbath,

Slisha Maajar Hajjaar Shady!

2005-02-06T18:27:00.000+05:30

It never fails to happen. Always, after spending a few days in the midst of IITians, I end up thinking to myself: ‘It is true. Drugs are a major problem here.’ A number of you (one, if I’m lucky) reading this are probably still in school and seriously thinking about joining IIT. Actually, you’re probably not, the only thought currently occupying your mind is ‘Why isn’t my stupid school more like

Life Is Beautiful

2005-01-19T07:39:00.000+05:30

The light tremors that shook Chennai on the morning of Sunday, the 26th of December were just a prologue to the massive tragedy that came later on in the day. It was shocking, to say the least. The incident itself wasn't new to the world. We've seen it happen before, but only to other countries. But even then, this was a hard pill to swallow. It was the kind of stuff that nightmares are made of.

The Greenhouse Effect is all just gas!

2005-01-15T14:50:00.000+05:30

"The threat of global warming," she said, "is essentially nonexistent. Even if it were a real phenomenon, it would probably result in a net benefit to most of the world." That is the fantastic message conveyed in Michael Crichton’s new novel ‘State Of Fear’ and it’s not just an outrageous claim. In fact, it’s far from that. The author backs up all his statements with footnotes, graphs, two

Holy Smoke!

2005-01-13T08:17:00.000+05:30

Pongal is the traditional harvest and thanksgiving festival celebrated all over South India, a joyous and colourful occasion when farmers from all the villages gather outside to pay their respects to the Sun, following which they suffocate and die after inhaling the dense smoke in the air. Believe me, folks, I am not kidding. This killer smoke, caused by all the old-stuff-burning on Bhogi day,

Eyes Wide Open

2005-01-10T20:05:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, it was again that time of the year when all of Chennai’s high-spirited sports lovers decide to leave their worries at home and spend a couple of exciting hours at the magnificent Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium, making out with their girlfriends and watching Paradorn Srichapan change shirts. Yup, it was the final of the Chennai Open. The Chennai Open is now an integral part of Chennai’s

Game And Gamer

2005-01-08T19:19:00.000+05:30

Fortunately, I have never gotten involved with the crazy world of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) where thousands of people can live and adventure in real time over the internet. To me, the best game in the world is still Tetris (T). The thing I like most about Tetris is that it’s elegant in its simplicity. You basically bring a piece down and put it wherever you want.

2004 : A Series Of Unfortunate Events

2005-01-01T22:35:00.000+05:30

2004 was, by any standards, a very remarkable year. So, I will make some remarks on it… Disclaimer: None of the dates in the following article have been verified. They’re just there to hold the piece together. If any of them are correct, let me assure you that it is purely by accident. And while we’re on the subject, I might as well tell you that none of the facts have been verified either.

MI Diary - Part 3

2004-12-31T19:05:00.000+05:30

This diary thing is just not working out. I realize that I'm no Anne Frank. Or even Bridget Jones, for that matter. Above all, it’s just too boring. So, a quick round-up for the sake of closure and then we’re done. I promise. Days 2, 3 and 4 – December 22, 23 and 24 Won both the Sports Quiz and the Entertainment Quiz pretty comfortably at MI. Thanks to these victories, we won the overall trophy

MI Diary - Part 2

2004-12-30T19:40:00.000+05:30

Day 1 – December 21 This was the first day of actual competition. Though we’d all gone to bed rather late the previous night, I woke up early, like I always do. There’s something magical about winter mornings that never cease to fascinate me. Even in Chennai, which has this image of being an extremely hot city, there are a few mornings in the December-January period when the city feels like

MI Diary - Part 1

2004-12-29T21:24:00.000+05:30

If you didn’t already know, last week, I went along with Vikram to IIT-Bombay to participate in their annual culfest ‘Mood Indigo 2004’. Here is a report: Day 0 - December 20 The running time of the Chennai-Dadar Express is supposedly 24 hrs, but it's usually late by several years. So, on the morning of the 20th, when the train pulled into Dadar Station at the scheduled time, everybody was

Quake 4

2004-12-27T11:12:00.000+05:30

After an eventful week at 'Mood Indigo 2004' and an even more eventful day on the Mumbai Mail, I was a much relieved man when the train pulled slowly into Chennai Central Station early yesterday morning. In fact, in my exhilaration at finally being back home, I jumped off the train and landed heavily on the platform. The result. More seriously speaking, I was at home brushing my teeth when

What are we stealing?

2004-12-17T08:30:00.000+05:30

[discussing the plan to rob the casino] Rusty: Why do this? Danny: Why not do it? [Rusty shakes his head] Danny: 'Cos yesterday I walked out of the joint after losing four years of my life and you're cold-decking "Teen Beat" cover boys. [pause] Danny: 'Cos the house always wins. Play long enough, you never change the stakes. The house takes you. Unless, when that perfect hand comes along, you

Am-bush-ed!

2004-12-10T06:33:00.000+05:30

A number of people (1, to be precise) wondered why I didn't write anything on the U.S Presidential Elections of 2004. So, for his sake at least, I felt I should write something on the subject. Here it is: After the disastrous elections of 2000, Americans didn't really want to have to go through another Presidential election. In fact, there was even some early talk that the job might be

Sigh!

2004-12-10T06:20:00.000+05:30

Alas! The attempt to reach 220 comments doesn't seem to be working out. A million zillion thanks to everyone who tried their best to get the comments count up. Now, no one can say we didn't try. Anyway, 30 (15 by me) is still a record for this blog. So, thanks again folks. But yes, I officially throw in the towel. Kiruba is still the king!

Calling all Trisha lovers...

2004-12-07T08:52:00.000+05:30

Hmmm... in the last few days, almost everyone who's anyone in the blogsosphere has had something to say about Trisha. So, I thought to myself, 'You have to say something too.' It wasn't very profound but it was a thought nevertheless. Anyway, I like Trisha. Always have. I think she's extremely cute. And I'm also eternally obsessed with the desire to attract more visitors to my blog. As regular

The Cold Rush

2004-12-01T11:37:00.000+05:30

The symptoms were unmistakable. Carbon dioxide was pounding on my nostrils, begging to be let out. My head was feeling like someone had cut it open, taken the brain out and stuffed it with phlegm instead. That was not all. My throat was aching, my eyes were watering and on the whole, I was feeling vaguely out-of-sorts. And I knew that this complete lack of sorts could only mean one thing - the

TISATAAFL

2004-11-29T18:38:00.000+05:30

TANSTAAFL or ‘There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch’ is a now common phrase that was first popularized by Robert Heinlein in his novel ‘The Moon is a Harsh Mistress’. Simply put, it means that you can't get something for nothing. I remember thinking that it made a lot of sense, until a couple of days back… There is this restaurant we frequent called ‘Babbal da Dhabha’ which is a small

Super-People!

2004-11-26T11:19:00.000+05:30

I was watching ‘Wonder-Woman’ last night on Pogo and I was left totally speechless. Believe me, folks, it’s not just a freaky coincidence that she’s called ‘Wonder-Woman’. It’s most definitely a wonder how she’s still alive. Seriously, Wonder-Woman has got to be one of the worst superheroines ever conceived. First of all, she can’t fly! I mean, what the hell is that all about? What kind of

After all the talk...

2004-11-21T06:25:00.000+05:30

It's finally here. CAT 2004. It feels kinda funny to be doing this. I've made a conscious effort to stay away from blogging these last two weeks, although more out of guilt than out of actual prep and now, here I am, on the big day - typing out a blogpost when I should be sharpening my three HB pencils. If you're like me, or in other words, if you're writing CAT and haven't prepared a bit, don't

The Blog of Useless Information

2004-11-03T21:09:00.000+05:30

It was a dark and rainy evening and there were roughly 3 hours left before our train would leave Chennai Central Railway station. I was sitting at home wearing a troubled expression on my face, staring at the empty bag in front of me. Smart packing, as everyone knows, is absolutely vital in order to have an enjoyable trip and it's always been a problem with me. It was gonna be just a two day trip

Oh no, not again...

2004-11-02T17:02:00.000+05:30

'The Landmark Quiz 2004 - Bangalore' was held yesterday and it was the first time the quiz was being held in the city. We (Goach, Vikram and me) were one of around ten teams from Chennai that had made the trip across the state border in order to participate in it. We were really looking forward to doing well as we'd done exceedingly well in a couple of quizzes on Sunday, beating some of the best

Singaara Chennai!

2004-10-28T22:19:00.000+05:30

A few days ago, when I 'claimed' my blog on Blogstreet India, I noticed that Chennai is home to most of India's bloggers. Initially, I was damn proud and all but soon, I got thinking - there's absolutely nothing on my blog to show that I'm a Chennaiite. And I've written exactly zilch about the city I love so much - the city where I've spent almost my entire life. So, after a few minutes of deep

Dance Like A Man!

2004-10-24T16:57:00.000+05:30

My school had an annual inter-house cultural fest called 'Centerstage'. It was without a shadow of a doubt, the highlight of my academic year when I was at St. Michael's Academy. The long hours of practice and the thrill of performing in front of 2000 odd students - priceless. 6th grade was when we were first allowed to participate in the fest. And all of us were amazingly enthusiastic to get in

Bride - Terminate With Extreme Prejudice

2004-10-23T08:51:00.000+05:30

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a British-Indian director, in possession of a good story, must be in want of a brain. After the immense disappointment of the game on Monday, we were very determined not to let the day turn into a total loss. So, we decided to go watch Gurindher Chadha's 'Bride and Prejudice'. As it turned out, that's what made the day a complete disaster. Jane

News Flash

2004-10-20T17:41:00.000+05:30

I finally got a job. And the way CAT prep is going right now, I'm definitely going to need it. The next Mensa Qualifying Test will be held on Sunday, the 28th of November, 2004 - exactly one week after CAT. Click here for more details.

F***

2004-10-18T17:52:00.000+05:30

In the word 'rain', if you replace the letter 'a' with the letters 'o' and 'y' and then jumble up the letters in a certain way, then you'll end up with the word 'irony'. Now I know that that was not a very good anagram, or even if it was one but then, keeping in mind that this blog is constantly trying to challenge the limits of human stupidity, that seemed a very good way to begin this post,

The Mother Of All Match-Ups

2004-10-16T08:14:00.000+05:30

Well, I've always believed that the quality of any movie is relative to the expectations of the people watching it. And that philosophy was proved beyond a shadow of a doubt when I went with Vikram to watch 'Alien Vs. Predator' yesterday, expecting to see a totally screwed-up, corny movie. The tagline 'Whoever wins.... we lose' didn't help in image building either. But after sitting through the

The Porn Supremacy

2004-10-15T09:30:00.000+05:30

There has been a lot of talk about the censor board these last few days. What with Chief Anupam Kher getting dumped so unceremoniously and all. I saw the man speak his heart out on TV yesterday and he was saying stuff about being ‘angry and hurt’ and whole thing having been ‘shameful’. It made for a sorry sight but at I have to admit here that I do empathise with the poor guy. He had the coolest

I Dream Of Jeannie..

2004-10-12T13:33:00.000+05:30

I originally didn’t want to put this up on the blog. I guess I assumed you’ll never understand. But, as time went on, I realized that I had to get it out of my system. It was eating me alive. I just couldn’t hold it in any longer. So here goes… My favourite pair of jeans tore last week. And I’ve been inconsolable since then. You could even say that I was ‘feeling blue’ but that’s a really

Fly Emirates!

2004-10-06T06:31:00.000+05:30

Arsenal's new £357 million, 60,000 capacity stadium at Ashburton Grove will be known as the Emirates Stadium for the next 15 years after they agreed a spectacular £100 million deal with Emirates Airlines. The company will also be the Gunners' shirt sponsor for eight years starting in the 2006-07 season when the club start life at their new ground. Manager Arsene Wenger has also revealed that he

Unforgettable Captain

2004-10-01T06:32:00.000+05:30

Marching out in perfect rhythm with the background music, the stocky-to-say-the-least guy, in tight jeans worn around the chest, looks nothing like the top cop that he is supposed to be. Wearing dark glasses and a leather jacket, he has, slung over his shoulder, a camera pouch containing a highly sophisticated camera. A car passes him at an extremely high speed. The car has black tinted windows